


Saccharine Visions

by Waffleberry



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-14
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-25 07:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2613971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waffleberry/pseuds/Waffleberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Connor go on a cupcake run and end up meeting Felicity on a similar quest. </p><p>These characters belong to DC universe and the CW network.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saccharine Visions

“So, what flavour were you thinking of?” Oliver asked, looking down at the young boy standing next to him. His son. He had brought _his son_ to a cupcake store as they both sought to satisfy their sweet tooth. Sometimes he found it difficult to comprehend – he had a son; it turns out that they hadn’t lost the baby all those years ago. In fact, his baby had survived, supported by his family’s wealth and, for all intents and purposes, was a well-adjusted kid.

There was, of course, the predilection for technology and all its latest developments – a passion that could only remind Oliver of a certain ponytail-coiffed, bespectacled blonde. Connor spouted technobabble with almost as much enthusiasm as Felicity did and Oliver tried his best to keep up. There had been numerous instances of seeking her help in understanding some of Connor’s references and jargon. The relationship with his son was still in its formative stages – they had only learned of each other four months ago – and he had wanted to find something over which he could bond with his child. The fact that he had gone to Felicity for assistance with that had escaped from somewhere in his subconscious and he hadn’t tried to fight it back.

Felicity hadn’t met Connor as yet; no one had, not even Thea. They had all understood when Oliver explained his desire to get to know the boy and establish a relationship with him first before bringing Connor in contact with the rest of his world. That was his logical explanation. The more irrational, but no less true, reason was that he wanted Felicity to be the first person he introduced to Connor. He couldn’t do that now, though. How could he, when such a wish was reserved for a boyfriend or a lover, both of which he most certainly was not in relation to Felicity? He didn’t get to have these moments with her anymore. He had actively chosen not to have those moments with her, God damn him, and it would have been unfair of him to put such a demand on her as a friend. It was almost crippling him but he was respecting their new boundaries. He couldn’t ever let her go but he could at least try to let her be happy.

Thoughts of her tended to come to him at random moments, while he went about his day. She was a steady presence with him, like a constant current beneath his skin – quietly with him, tingling his senses.

“There are so many good ones,” Connor mused, thoughtfully tapping his finger against his cheek as he contemplated the offering before him. “What do you think?” The eight year old turned to look up at this father, green eyes meeting blue ones for help.

Oliver crouched down so that his face was level with Connor’s, their blond heads next to each other almost a perfect match for shade. “That depends,” Oliver advised. “Are you in the mood for chocolate or vanilla?”

Connor’s eyes roamed the colourful display in front of them. “Chocolate,” he decided with conviction. “Deeeefinitely chocolate.” He dragged out the syllables as he continued to peruse his options. A firm nod punctuated his statement and Oliver couldn’t help but smile at how adorable it was. Connor’s gaze latched onto a chocolate cupcake with a green cloud of fluff piled on top of it. His entire face lit up as he spied what he wanted. “A mint chocolate one.”

Oliver briefly closed his eyes as he let the selection sink into his brain. The kid even had to choose Felicity’s flavour. He released a sigh as he straightened up, reaching for his wallet. “Mint chocolate it is,” he agreed.

“An excellent choice if I do say so myself,” a familiar voice informed them. The intimate knowledge of that voice sliced through Oliver and he turned around slowly, letting his eyes drift downward to meet her matching blue ones. “I came here just to get that one,” Felicity said brightly, smiling at Connor.

Connor stood next to Oliver, beaming and completely thrilled with his choice. “Are they really that good?” he asked hesitantly.

Her left arm made a slight movement before she reined it in and somehow, Oliver knew that she had been about to cup Connor’s cheek on impulse. His heart ached as he acknowledged that whatever residual tenderness she held for him had automatically been transferred to his son. She bent at the waist to make her eyes level with Connor’s. “Best cupcake in town. I guarantee it.”

As she straightened, Connor responded with, “Awesome,” a trace of wonder in his voice.

Oliver noticed that Felicity hadn’t clued Connor in to the fact that they knew each other. He was aware that she had done that out of respect for him – to give him the power of managing the fledgling relationship with his child the way he wanted; to decide whether he wanted Connor to meet her or not. But she was Felicity. He would never treat her with such irreverence. While he had thought countless times about how he would introduce Felicity to Connor, he had never quite settled on anything. The problem was, at the moment, Felicity did not officially occupy the space in his life that he wanted her to. Sure, he had made her his Chief Operating Officer after he had regained controlling interest in Queen Consolidated and she continued to be his guardian angel keeping him safe at night, but she was so much more than that. She always had been.

 _Connor_ , he had thought on innumerable occasions, _this is Felicity. She is my light. Connor, this is Felicity. She is my sun. Connor, this is Felicity. She is my heart and soul. She is the reason I am alive. She is the reason I want to be alive. She is my… love._

There were so many words for what she was to him but he could only utter them into empty, dark spaces to give them release from the caverns of his mind.

He caught Connor looking at him with a contemplative expression. Clearing his throat, Oliver said, “Connor, I’d like you to meet Felicity Smoak.” His voice was soft and tender as the syllables of her name floated off his tongue, his eyes steady on her face. “She’s my friend. I met her at Queen Consolidated.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to add the last part, except that it seemed to connect her to another part of his life already known to Connor.

Felicity extended her hand to his young charge, her smile rivalling her eyes for their sheer brilliance. “I’m so happy to meet you, Connor. I’ve heard a lot about you!”

The boy in question had frozen and he was looking at Felicity, dumbfounded. Absent-mindedly, he shook her hand, a mix of awe and disbelief upon his face.

“You’re Felicity Smoak?” he asked incredulously.

Felicity nodded uncertainly, casting a questioning glace at Oliver. Had he mentioned her to Connor? How did he seem to know about her? Oliver shook his head to reassure her that he had not, shrugging at his son’s reaction.

“You’re _the_ Felicity Smoak?” Connor’s eyes flitted between his father and Felicity, his hand still holding on to hers. “And you’ve heard of me?”

“Of course I have,” Felicity confirmed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Your dad talks about you a lot.”

Oliver’s brow creased as he tried to understand what was happening with his son.

“Connor,” he began before he was interrupted by an exuberant boy who was meeting one of his idols.

“Dad,” he whispered in a confiding tone, excitement bursting from his little body, “This is Felicity Smoak.”

Oliver smiled in amusement, understanding on some level that Connor’s interests had made him aware of Felicity and her achievements. Felicity, on the other hand, still had yet to catch up. He never failed to be surprised by how modest she was about what she had achieved.

“Oliver, I don’t – “ she started to say, withdrawing her hand from the boy. Said boy seemed to realise that an explanation was necessary and jumped right in.

“You’re Felicity Smoak.” The reverent way he kept saying her name reminded Oliver of how much he himself loved uttering it. “You’re brilliant!” Connor announced emphatically. “You’re the reason co-generation was able to work in Starling City. And the only reason we were able to get it to work in Central City! This is like the best cupcake run EVER!”

A thought struck him then and he looked at Oliver. “Felicity Smoak works for you? That’s amazing! You’re amazing! And she likes mint chocolate cupcakes, too! This is so awesome!”

Oliver and Felicity chuckled at the child’s elation for a moment before Oliver was brought back to the task at hand. “Speaking of which, you should probably go get your cupcake.” Removing his wallet from his pocket, he raised his eyebrows at Felicity. “I’m guessing you want mint chocolate as well?” When she nodded her confirmation, he handed Connor a bill with the instruction, “Let’s get a half-dozen. Neither one of you is going to eat only one.”

Felicity winked at Connor conspiratorially and that seemed to push his experience to a new level. If Oliver had thought the smile on the boy’s face couldn’t get any wider, he was wrong. The kid happily took the money and trotted off toward the cashier.

Oliver turned to Felicity then, ensuring that Connor remained in his line of sight before flashing a smirk at Felicity. “Seems like you have a fanboy.” She blushed at that and he knew she wasn’t used to being openly admired for her talents.

“He’s completely smitten,” Oliver continued. _Just like his father._ He knew that she knew it and a few months ago, he might have unthinkingly mentioned it to her but now he was fully aware that his admissions, however inadvertent, were not always welcome; and no matter the insane depth of it, he couldn’t just casually remind her of his love. One day, though, he would be able to.

But for now, he just stood there, devouring the sight of her standing before him in all her warmth and elegance, grateful that he was still granted the little things – the way the light caressed her cheek; the way her lips curved up in a smile; the way her hair swung as she turned her head; and even the bigger things that she may not be aware of – the way her warmth always seemed to reach out and envelop him; the way her eyes still bored into his, making his heart pump faster and causing his skin to burn; the way she invaded his dreams, bringing him peace and calming his troubled soul.

“Oliver,” she said, holding a hand up to him, “I’m so sorry if I barged in on you guys. I’d already spoken before I realised who I was talking to.” She rolled her eyes at that and he knew she was thinking how typical of her that was. “I just want you to know that I didn’t mean to force – I mean, if you weren’t ready – “

“Felicity,” his voice, soft and low, was full of affection. He tilted his head slightly to the side, smiling in response to her panic. “You made his night.”

Movement behind her distracted him for a second and he saw Connor waving at him. The cashier was boxing up their treats and Connor was happily staring at his father with Felicity. He returned his son’s gesture, which caused Felicity to spin around and mimic him. That made Connor blush and he shyly turned back to the counter to collect the box.

“He’s really sweet, Oliver,” she told him softly, her eyes still locked on to the subject in question. “I hope –,“ she faltered for a moment as if hesitant to express her thoughts aloud. Resolve gripped her, however, and she continued, “I hope I can see more of him.” Her eyes flicked across to his. “You wouldn’t mind, right?”

Her request stunned him. Whatever they were – or were not – whatever had happened to them, _between_ them, her love for him was still there; evident in her desire to know his child, to be respectful of how careful he was being with forging a relationship with Connor – not wanting to push but at the same time wanting to be involved. Even though they no longer acknowledged it, he was relieved and grateful to know that their deep connection yet existed; a constant in his life that was continually upheaved; perhaps _the_ constant.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans in an attempt to combat the overwhelming urge to fold her into his arms and thank her – for everything she was and everything she meant to him. “How could I ever mind, Felicity?”

The relieved smile she shared with him almost undid him. She was right to be worried that he would keep her locked out – it was what he did, after all; what he had done to lead them down this path. But she must have known, as he had let her know, that it was all in her court now – he would grant her whatever access she wanted but he would never make any demands of her.

Connor started walking towards them, the open box in one hand while the other removed one of the temptingly decorated confections. Delight was scrawled across his face as he gingerly held the prize in his hand.

“God, he reminds me so much of me when I was his age,” she confessed in a whisper.

It hit Oliver then, all the visions and dreams he had filed away and buried deep within him to keep him from hoping. He saw it all. He saw Felicity sitting with Connor at the marble kitchen counter, helping him with his homework, an apron wrapped around her tiny waist because she had just put the cupcakes in the oven; he saw them rapidly discussing the latest technological breakthrough she was working on at QC’s Applied Sciences division, sitting on the couch together while he watched them from the doorway; he saw Connor’s hand stretching over the hospital bed to delicately touch his new baby sister’s hand as she lay cradled in Felicity’s arms while Oliver stood next to her, fingers lovingly stroking through her hair; he saw a beautiful blue-eyed girl with riotous brown curls cascading over her shoulders as she squealed with glee, running around to escape being caught by her brother; he saw his fingers entwined with Felicity’s, as they stood in the doorway of their children’s bedroom, one of his arms around her waist, smiling at his sleeping kids.

His breathing was shallow and he felt the moisture gathering in his eyes. He couldn’t move – he was prisoner to his own hopes and he had to physically shake himself out of his reverie, blinking away his unshed tears as Connor approached.

“Here you go, Miss Smoak,” Connor addressed her, presenting her with the cupcake he held in his palm.

“Thank you so much,” she replied as she took the offering. "And you can call me Felicity."

"Felicity," Connor murmured, passing the box to his father before he took his own cupcake out and began to peel the paper off of it.

“Cheers, kid,” Felicity said, gently knocking her minty creation against Connor’s. He gave her a wide grin and they both bit into their treats at the same moment.

Oliver mentally filed the image away with the rest of them; the ones that made his heart ache and made him so desperately want things he couldn’t have. It left him faint, a hollow feeling taking up residence in the pit of his stomach and leaving him cold.

After Felicity and Connor had eaten their cupcakes and she had thanked them yet again, she had left them, with the invitation for Oliver to bring Connor by her office so she could show him around. It had again almost pierced his soul – that this woman, _this_ woman would be the one to show Connor his family’s legacy and share that part of Oliver with his son. It felt so right – even more so than if he were to do it himself – and he knew it was because for him, she had become ingrained with QC in his mind – it was where they had met, where they had spent so much time together while he was CEO – she had become ingrained in so many parts of his life; she was ingrained in his very being. Her name was etched into his soul and no amount of distance, no amount of tension, no lack of overt affection, no egregious efforts in the direction of love could ever burn it away.

“Dad?” Connor addressed him tentatively as they exited the little store to make the short walk back to their car in the cool night air.

He was still getting used to hearing that term used in connection with him but he liked the feeling it gave him every time he heard it.

“What’s up?”

Connor paused, stopping to look up at Oliver, curious eyes searching the latter’s face. “Are you in love with Felicity Smoak?”

Oliver briefly closed his eyes, wondering why his kid had to be so observant (maybe he had gotten it naturally whereas Oliver had had to become that way through training) and what he’d done to give it away.

“Why do you ask?” He hoped his tone was genuinely intrigued, which he was, and hadn’t come out sounding defensive.

A smile tugged at Connor’s lips. “I saw how you looked at her; how you kept looking at her. I was starting to think you wouldn’t ever stop looking at her.”

“You were watching me?” a bemused Oliver probed.

Connor let out of a huff, exhibiting the merest hint of exasperation. “She’s Felicity Smoak. I was watching her. But you were, too.”

As Oliver looked into those green eyes, he deliberated on what exactly he should say. In honour of his words to Thea so long ago, he didn’t ever want to lie to his family but Connor was a kid and he and Felicity were…complicated. Maybe too grown up to share with a child.

He shook that thought away, nodding as he confirmed, “Yes, I am.”

His admission brought the full smile to Connor’s face. “Are you two together?” he inquired.

A sigh escaped Oliver. “No…” he said wistfully. “It’s… a little difficult.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be too long before you guys are together,” the boy said firmly.

“And why do you say that?” Oliver asked, his interest highly piqued by what was spurring these insights.

Connor gave him a smirk before he imparted, “I didn’t think she would ever stop looking at you, either.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've always thought of Connor being a force that would bring Olicity together, rather than drive them apart, especially because I think Felicity is the type of person that kids would gravitate towards. The theories that Connor will pop up in the Flash crossover episode reminded me of this idea and I wanted to write it before it happened on the show. Let me know what you think!


End file.
